Robert A. McDonald, former CEO of Procter & Gamble and nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, is chairman of the Cultural Facilities Task Force.

It is not news that Union Terminal and Music Hall, two of our community's most iconic buildings, are in dire need of repair. The disrepair of these two buildings threatens the viability and sustainability of key community experiences happening daily within them: the Children's Museum, Natural History & Science Museum, Cincinnati History Museum, OMNIMAX Theater, History Library & Archives, Cincinnati Symphony, Pops, May Festival, Opera and Ballet.

Over the years, several reviews have been conducted regarding the needs of these landmarks. Last November, the Hamilton County Tax Levy Review Committee called for a community task force to review alternatives and come up with an optimal solution. As a result, I was asked to bring together community leaders, including independent engineering, construction and finance experts to review alternatives and develop that optimal plan.

Our 22-person Cultural Facilities Task Force spent the last eight months and over 5,000 professional hours thoroughly examining both facilities. The Task Force performed value engineering, identified construction cost savings and studied alternatives for Union Terminal, including demolition and relocation. We worked hand-in-hand with 3CDC and its executive director, Steve Leeper, to review alternatives for Music Hall.

The recommendation we developed – renovate Union Terminal and Music Hall – is the most cost-effective and fair, with the costs paid by philanthropy, grants, historic tax credits and a quarter-cent sales tax.

It was important to the Task Force to receive as much private and other support to make the cost to county taxpayers as low as possible. As such we have collected commitments of philanthropy of almost $40 million, and we have identified tax credits worth over $46 million, which are available to reduce the direct cost to citizens.

With millions of dollars in private support and tax credits, The Enquirer has calculated that the average Hamilton County resident would pay $23 per year to sustain these iconic buildings, enabling the success of the cultural institutions within them for future generations. Of the $331 million needed to renovate Union Terminal and Music Hall, $225 million is being asked of sales taxpayers.

• One-third of the cost will be paid via sales tax by residents of Hamilton County.

• One-third will be noncounty residents and visitors who pay sales tax when shopping in our county.

Additional consideration is being given to a user fee or ticket tax. In addition to the roughly $500,000 the city provides in maintenance to both facilities, it has pledged $10 million for Music Hall, and the task force is asking for further consideration of the Dalton Avenue and bridge repairs at Union Terminal.

It is also important to point out the sales tax projections in our plan are conservative with zero percent projected growth. Hamilton County's average annual growth rate is 1.5 percent. The proposed sales tax is restricted to the needs of Union Terminal and Music Hall and is legally binding for 14 years. Our recommendation allows for the current Union Terminal property tax levy to expire this year, giving Hamilton County property owners a rollback on our property taxes.

The Cultural Facilities Task Force has recommended an optimal and clear plan. It is the result of eight months of nonstop inquiry, studies and further questioning.

We must not kick the can. We must act now.

We ask the public to support us in this effort to help save our icons and the organizations within them. We call for the public to be allowed to vote and decide the fate of both Union Terminal and Music Hall on the ballot in November. ■